Description

[Kannon]

The streets are narrow and crowded, built for shade and forestalling the sand from the desert from clogging them rather than for rapid movement. Most of the inhabitants travel on foot and move goods on wheeled carts; only the richer ones can afford suspensor-buoyed platforms. Water peddlers often venture out into them with their 'Soo-soo-sook!' calls and move door-to-door. Harkonnen guard posts are on the outskirts, as if protecting the industrial facilities and water farms beyond the city's perimeter from the human element, confining Arrakeen to its inner chaos.

Groundcars are rare and used more for protection and comfort rather than rapid movement because every street is full of obstacles that have to be removed before the car can go on. Sometimes it's faster on foot, but few offworlders risk it. The local population isn't particularly bloodthirsty or opportunistic, but they create an ideal setting for anyone's enemy to act without relative impunity. And everyone has enemies.

The pyon buildings along those streets are relatively uniform in material and size, with water regimes visible due to moisture seals on doorways and narrow or non-existent windows as well as general sand-proofing. Larger architectural affairs can be found toward the suburbs, where businesses and residences of local Houses Minor are placed.

The streets get mostly dead around noon as most inhabitants take the zaha rest, but it is compensated with nightlife, usually wrapping up when the Second Moon begins to wane, called the Hour of Assassins on most worlds, for more private time.